Hypnotism: Its History, Practice and Theory |
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on the theoretical and practical bearing of the doctrine. Baron du Potet, too,
must be mentioned. In brief, the doctrine retained many adherents, not only
in Paris but in other French towns as well—for example, Havre. Meanwhile, in Germany a few investigators still busied them-selves with mesmerism. I find that in 1818 the University of HISTORY OF HYPNOTISM. 13 Leipzig published a graduation thesis by Wendler, entitled De Magnetismi animalis eficacia rite dijudicanda; and another in z8z6, by Volkmann, Observations biologitze de Magnetismo animali. But in the main, after about 18zo, the belief in animal magnetism declined. This retrogression was caused as much by the rise of the exact natural sciences as by the unscientific and uncritical hankering after mystical phenomena, which could not but revolt serious investigators. Mesmerism flourished relatively the longest in Hamburg and Bremen, where Siemers was its advocate; and also in Bavaria, where Hensler and Ennemoser, between the years 1830 and 1840, still represented it; and as late as 1857 Wurm, a Munich physician, published an enthusiastic book on mesmerism in the treatment of disease. In other towns we likewise find a number of thoughtful inquirers, who allowed themselves to be influenced neither by the passion for the wonderful nor by the attacks of the principal opponents of magnetism, and who sought to defend their position in a thoroughly scientific manner; Most, Fr. Fischer, and Hirschel may be mentioned. A series of philosophers and philosophical writers also has believed firmly and persistently in the reality of the phenomena, although not much regard has been paid to this fact; for example, Schopenhauer, Carus, Pfnor, and Wirth. About the middle forties of last century the waning fire of animal magnetism burst somewhat more strongly into flame in several towns simultaneously. In Vienna, on Eisenstein s recommendation, a Commission of Investigation was appointed, on which Guntner, Schuh, Dumreicher, and other Viennese physicians sat; but according to the report published by Gouge, the commission expressed itself as vigorously against the existence of animal magnetism as Czermak had done a short time before. The excitement also caused at that time by Reichenbach's theory of the " Od" could not help bringing fresh adherents to the cause of animal magnetism. Fechner, in his reminiscences of the last days of the theory of the Od, thus defines the Od itself:—"According to Reichenbach, the Od is an imponderable force, analogous to electricity and to magnetism, but differing more or less from the latter in the phenomena it exhibits, and in following its own special laws." Considering the close relationship that subsists between the theory of the Od and that of animal magnetism, it is easy to |
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